studs up:Mayostard: Glad to know that it's perfectly acceptable to maliciously destroy someone's property, then blog about it like you're some hero. biatch might have been annoying, but this guy comes off as a dick.

Tourists are much worse at the theatre than New Yorkers. I went to a Broadway show a few months ago and some fat mid-westerners behind us wouldn't shut up about how the play compared to the movie. Talking is worse than surfing on your cell phone.

/New Yorker//I support guys like this.//especially for ass-hatteryon the subway.

News flash: tearing an object out of another person's hand and throwing it across the room qualifies as "violence." It may also qualify as battery/assault, robbery, larceny, and malicious destruction of personal property. And having just been assaulted/battered, I suspect she's going to have at least one defense available to her for her slap, which is more than he will have.

Not assault under New York law, its just Harassment. To be assault you need to cause physical injury or intense pain. A stinging cheek does not qualify as injury or intense pain (a nutshot would, not a slap), so he couldn't charge assault if he tried.

So does that mean he could have slapped her and been ok? Hah! Yay double standards!

Mayostard:Glad to know that it's perfectly acceptable to maliciously destroy someone's property, then blog about it like you're some hero. biatch might have been annoying, but this guy comes off as a dick.

I've told this story before, but...Some years ago I was at a screening of Citizen Kane in the small auditorium of our local art movie house. The place had about seven rows of seats.Just toward the end, a guy's cell phone started ringing and he wouldn't turn it off. Eventually, a guy sitting behind him jumped up and started hitting him!Don't generally condone violence, but it was satisfying to watch.

Not assault under New York law, its just Harassment. To be assault you need to cause physical injury or intense pain. A stinging cheek does not qualify as injury or intense pain (a nutshot would, not a slap), so he couldn't charge assault if he tried.

So does that mean he could have slapped her and been ok? Hah! Yay double standards!

If by okay you mean "not charged with assault", then yes it does. He could still have harassment charges filed against him, as she could.

During intermission, Williamson's date complained to the theater's management, but he says he didn't personally witness the theater managers admonish the disruptive audience members. And once the performance resumed, the woman sitting to Williamson's right on his bench would not, he says, stop using her cell phone. "It looked like she was Googling or something,"

I farking hate people so much. Honestly, I'm more and more convinced that there's a sizable percentage of the population that simply lacks the maturity or mental capacity to simultaneously own a cell phone and behave as a participant in civilized society. It's like watching restless, undisciplined children at a restaurant with their parents - these 'adults' are utterly incapable of sitting still and focusing on the task at hand. I won't even go into the soaring estimation of relative worth that people have about themselves - "my 'business' here on my cell phone is so important that it outweighs the entire purpose of everyone else's presence in the room." And utterly incapable of accepting any level of correction in anything resembling dignified fashion. Like a petulant, impertinent little child.

Did I miss the part where the lady used her phone as a phone or it made audible noise in any way? Is the level of light in the articles picture indicative of the amount of light in the theater at the time? If so that doesn't seem to be dim enough that someone near you simply looking at their phone screen would affect your experience. I hope the "disruptive" table was actually being disruptive and this was simply the result. If so, then Bravo.

shroom:Prank Call of Cthulhu: In before some self-important asshole shows up to explain why it's soooooo vitally important for physicians to have cell phones with them all the time in case there's an emergency, because apparently prior to the invention of the cell phone there was no way to get messages to people when they didn't carry their own phones and people were just keeling over dead left and right because of it.

Check it in the lobby with the house manager and give them your seat number.

/theatre person

Wife and I went to a symphony performance where you were required to check your cell phone before admittance. No checky, no admitty. Wife was a bit put out by it, but I kind of liked the idea.

3 things-she wasn't talking on the phone, she was googling something on it(from the article)-doing that to a woman is sort of a biatch move, you talk to the manager if nothingcan be donem ove seets, cause again its not like shes actually talking on the phone-3 slapping someone in NY isn't assault, so I guess I call it even

shroom:Prank Call of Cthulhu: In before some self-important asshole shows up to explain why it's soooooo vitally important for physicians to have cell phones with them all the time in case there's an emergency, because apparently prior to the invention of the cell phone there was no way to get messages to people when they didn't carry their own phones and people were just keeling over dead left and right because of it.

Check it in the lobby with the house manager and give them your seat number.

/theatre person

There ya go. Seriously, the biatch needs to take her eyes off that damn phone. I'm surprised she hasn't been pickpocketed yet.

kkinnison:So obviously the manager had no balls and couldn't control the rude behavior of guests taht were using cell phones when they were told not to

More and more I would like theaters to have cell phone jamming devices active during performances , or even giant Faraday cages

It's for this reason I really want to visit the Alamo Draft House to see a movie at some point. They tell you they have zero tolerance for this shiat, and they actually mean it. They will throw your ass out for using your cell phone during a movie.

DubyaHater:Could someone specify the race and gender of the cellphone user? I have an idea, but I'd like confirmation

If this had been anywhere else I would probably have unwittingly agreed on your implied racist post but as this happened in NYC it's actually fair game. Could very well be a blond blue eyed socialite and her equally rude friends.

Marcus Aurelius:Is view those regulations as more of a guideline, especially considering how they were implemented with no real input from anyone except cell phone interests.

No, those regulations are designed so that everyone (the general public) is able to share in a public resource (the RF spectrum) that is accessible to only one person at a time.

You say "cell phone interests" like they're some sinister group. For sure, the telecoms make money off of the cell phone business, but so does everyone else. My grandfather has this great story where is car broke down on the middle of the interstate in bumfark nowhere and he ended up sleeping in his car overnight before someone found him. We couldn't have cell phones without some regulation of the RF spectrum, whether its self-imposed by the industry or imposed by the government.

And yeah, when you use a jammer you're declaring that you're more important than everyone else around you. You don't have to be a doctor to have an important phone call- it could be some guy's wife going into labor or someone's kid who got stuck at school, both are important enough to warrant immediate attention. I'm not excusing poor etiquette, but using a jammer negatively impacts that person who is being rude, but also everyone else who was polite enough to put their device on vibrate.

You think a judge will give someone time or a fine for a slap? What about destroying a $500 phone? If I was her I would still sue and take the chance of this pussy filling a charge on a girl slapping him for breaking her phone.

FTFA "It looked like she was Googling or something," Williamson tells us. "So I leaned over and told her it was distracting and told her to put it away.She responded, 'So don't look.' "

Seriously just don't watch someone use their phone, I bet the phone was on silent since he would have stated how loud it was. I would have pressed charges.

Edymnion:the money is in the banana stand: Edymnion: kronicfeld: Good lick with the inevitable assault charges.

Not assault under New York law, its just Harassment. To be assault you need to cause physical injury or intense pain. A stinging cheek does not qualify as injury or intense pain (a nutshot would, not a slap), so he couldn't charge assault if he tried.

So does that mean he could have slapped her and been ok? Hah! Yay double standards!

If by okay you mean "not charged with assault", then yes it does. He could still have harassment charges filed against him, as she could.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that had he slapped her for using the phone, he would be brought up on assault charges - versus her reaction of slapping him will be harassment (if that even happens) because he is a guy and she is a girl. It's horseshiat that by being a female it is considered more or less "ok" to slap a guy who is rude to you or does something offensive and a guy cannot do the same.

The thing I am curious about, and maybe I just didn't read the article close enough, is that I don't recall the guy ever complaining to the management of the excessive use of the cell phone at the play. Had the establishment NOT done anything about it, then I could see his recourse. The last movie I saw in a "real theater" was Dawn of the Dead (remake). We saw the matinee feature which a Hispanic family decided to take their 5 kids to so they could watch it. The kids were anywhere from 4-5 as the oldest and an infant. Not only this, but they decided to give them toys that made noise and lit up. After a miserable 10 minutes of kids climbing over chairs, yelling, and running up the stairs, I complained to the management who said they couldn't really do anything about it. So, naturally I confronted the parents who weren't willing to do anything then of course yell, talk on my cell phone, and annoy them until they finally left.

It is a shame that more people in the audience did not side with this guy and do something collectively.

Fubini:Marcus Aurelius: Is view those regulations as more of a guideline, especially considering how they were implemented with no real input from anyone except cell phone interests.

No, those regulations are designed so that everyone (the general public) is able to share in a public resource (the RF spectrum) that is accessible to only one person at a time.

You say "cell phone interests" like they're some sinister group. For sure, the telecoms make money off of the cell phone business, but so does everyone else. My grandfather has this great story where is car broke down on the middle of the interstate in bumfark nowhere and he ended up sleeping in his car overnight before someone found him. We couldn't have cell phones without some regulation of the RF spectrum, whether its self-imposed by the industry or imposed by the government.

And yeah, when you use a jammer you're declaring that you're more important than everyone else around you. You don't have to be a doctor to have an important phone call- it could be some guy's wife going into labor or someone's kid who got stuck at school, both are important enough to warrant immediate attention. I'm not excusing poor etiquette, but using a jammer negatively impacts that person who is being rude, but also everyone else who was polite enough to put their device on vibrate.

All valid points. I just happen to loathe cell phones with the passion of a millions suns. And I only bring the jammer to concerts and movies. If you really need to have a phone conversation during a show or a movie, you'll need to leave, or move at least six or seven rows away from me. Because my jammer said so.

TNel:Cold_Sassy: kronicfeld: Good lick with the inevitable assault charges.

Hey, SHE slapped him, so if anybody gets charged it should be her.

You think a judge will give someone time or a fine for a slap? What about destroying a $500 phone? If I was her I would still sue and take the chance of this pussy filling a charge on a girl slapping him for breaking her phone.

FTFA "It looked like she was Googling or something," Williamson tells us. "So I leaned over and told her it was distracting and told her to put it away.She responded, 'So don't look.' "

Seriously just don't watch someone use their phone, I bet the phone was on silent since he would have stated how loud it was. I would have pressed charges.

Having an LED screen blind you during the performance is distracting. It is pretty hard to NOT look when you are in a dim theater and people insist on farking texting or using their phones while in the theater. If it is so farking important you have to do that RIGHT then, you should step out - or you shouldn't even farking be there in the first place if your phone is more interesting than what is going on. Girls are the worst about that. No matter where they are, or whose company they are in they get out their phones and dick around on it. Could you imagine how pissed in turn the ladies would be if us men decided to check ESPN scores, play some games, and NOT listen to what they have to say? Hah!

Nogale:Just toward the end, a guy's cell phone started ringing and he wouldn't turn it off. Eventually, a guy sitting behind him jumped up and started hitting him!Don't generally condone violence, but it was satisfying to watch.

Would have been a better story if, like, the guy had died during the screening.

BigNumber12:During intermission, Williamson's date complained to the theater's management, but he says he didn't personally witness the theater managers admonish the disruptive audience members. And once the performance resumed, the woman sitting to Williamson's right on his bench would not, he says, stop using her cell phone. "It looked like she was Googling or something,"

I farking hate people so much. Honestly, I'm more and more convinced that there's a sizable percentage of the population that simply lacks the maturity or mental capacity to simultaneously own a cell phone and behave as a participant in civilized society. It's like watching restless, undisciplined children at a restaurant with their parents - these 'adults' are utterly incapable of sitting still and focusing on the task at hand. I won't even go into the soaring estimation of relative worth that people have about themselves - "my 'business' here on my cell phone is so important that it outweighs the entire purpose of everyone else's presence in the room." And utterly incapable of accepting any level of correction in anything resembling dignified fashion. Like a petulant, impertinent little child.

I find myself thinking about this article all the time.

Ha-ha, that's a good one; however, it appears to be far less satire than you would ordinarily expect from the Onion, sadly.

Marcus Aurelius:All valid points. I just happen to loathe cell phones with the passion of a millions suns. And I only bring the jammer to concerts and movies. If you really need to have a phone conversation during a show or a movie, you'll need to leave, or move at least six or seven rows away from me. Because my jammer said so.

I've never seen someone use a phone during a movie, before the movie I've seen it and I even play games on my phone before it starts but once the movie goes I'm more interested in the movie than the people around me so who really cares if someone is playing with their phone.

kronicfeld:meanmutton: Of course, she was the one who resorted to violence.

News flash: tearing an object out of another person's hand and throwing it across the room qualifies as "violence." It may also qualify as battery/assault, robbery, larceny, and malicious destruction of personal property. And having just been assaulted/battered, I suspect she's going to have at least one defense available to her for her slap, which is more than he will have.

Instead of throwing the phone, just dump it into a nearby alcoholic drink next time. Alcohol+Sugars/Salts+Water in an operating phone isn't good at all. There's less violence in this method, and the point gets made just as thoroughly.

The thing I am curious about, and maybe I just didn't read the article close enough, is that I don't recall the guy ever complaining to the management of the excessive use of the cell phone at the play. Had the establishment NOT done anything about it, then I could see his recourse.

TNel:Marcus Aurelius: All valid points. I just happen to loathe cell phones with the passion of a millions suns. And I only bring the jammer to concerts and movies. If you really need to have a phone conversation during a show or a movie, you'll need to leave, or move at least six or seven rows away from me. Because my jammer said so.

I've never seen someone use a phone during a movie, before the movie I've seen it and I even play games on my phone before it starts but once the movie goes I'm more interested in the movie than the people around me so who really cares if someone is playing with their phone.

Tiered seating? IMAX? 3D? Anyone that farking pulls their phone out the screen lights up like Christmas and is insanely distracting. I don't care, I only watch movies at Alamo Drafthouse. No one farks around there or they take your ass out. Got to love being able to raise a white piece of paper and have the douches next to you escorted out. Bonus, you have to be of age to enter since they serve alcohol during the movie.

TNel:Marcus Aurelius: All valid points. I just happen to loathe cell phones with the passion of a millions suns. And I only bring the jammer to concerts and movies. If you really need to have a phone conversation during a show or a movie, you'll need to leave, or move at least six or seven rows away from me. Because my jammer said so.

I've never seen someone use a phone during a movie, before the movie I've seen it and I even play games on my phone before it starts but once the movie goes I'm more interested in the movie than the people around me so who really cares if someone is playing with their phone.

The last movie I went to the people in front of me could NOT stop playing games on their smartphones. That doesn't bother me, but why in God's name would you pay to see a movie and then play with your phone the whole time?

SuperNinjaToad:DubyaHater: Could someone specify the race and gender of the cellphone user? I have an idea, but I'd like confirmation

If this had been anywhere else I would probably have unwittingly agreed on your implied racist post but as this happened in NYC it's actually fair game. Could very well be a blond blue eyed socialite and her equally rude friends.

Yeah because white people never act like assholes anywhere outside of NYC

the money is in the banana stand:Tiered seating? IMAX? 3D? Anyone that farking pulls their phone out the screen lights up like Christmas and is insanely distracting. I don't care, I only watch movies at Alamo Drafthouse. No one farks around there or they take your ass out. Got to love being able to raise a white piece of paper and have the douches next to you escorted out. Bonus, you have to be of age to enter since they serve alcohol during the movie

I keep hearing about that place. I'm going to have to stop in the next time I'm in Texas.

the money is in the banana stand:Having an LED screen blind you during the performance is distracting. It is pretty hard to NOT look when you are in a dim theater and people insist on farking texting or using their phones while in the theater. If it is so farking important you have to do that RIGHT then, you should step out - or you shouldn't even farking be there in the first place if your phone is more interesting than what is going on. Girls are the worst about that. No matter where they are, or whose company they are in they get out their phones and dick around on it. Could you imagine how pissed in turn the ladies would be if us men decided to check ESPN scores, play some games, and NOT listen to what they have to say? Hah!

If you are sitting behind someone when they use the phone it will most likely be at their waist level when seated in a chair. You will not get blinded by that light. I am willing to be this lady was dragged to the theater and did not want to go that's why she was playing with the phone.

the money is in the banana stand:Tiered seating? IMAX? 3D? Anyone that farking pulls their phone out the screen lights up like Christmas and is insanely distracting.

Even with tiered seating the device is low enough that if you don't look down you would barely be able to tell, watch the movie/play.

I happen to have purchased one of the portable jammers online a few months ago.

CSB:

When Iron Man 3 premiered, it was a packed house. Got there an hour early just to make sure I got a good seat and the theater filled up real fast 10 minutes later. Looking around, I see at least half of the people in the theater were using their smartphones. A majority of those folks turn their brightness levels of their screens down which was a welcome relief....except this overweight lady sitting in the row in front of me and just two seats to the left. Her screen brightness is up on full and she is texting away..with the sound volume maxed.

So the pre-movie Marcus theater intro pops up and everyone puts away their phones, except this woman who puts down her phone but then picks it up to text right up to the start of the movie.

About 10 minutes in, she starts to text away again. Her husband doesn't say anything, he just puts up his right hand to shield his eyes from the light. I'm sick of it so I reach into my coat pocket (it was 40 degrees outside in my neck of the woods) and turn on my jammer.

Oh it was so nice to see this lady slapping her phone in frustration (as if that would help) as her signal was lost. She finally got out of her seat and walked (waddled?) out of the theater never to return back to the movie. I left the jammer on until the final scene played after the credits then turned it off and left.

I guess she figured that the theater was at fault as she was yelling at the movie theater manager (I assume it was the manager as he was wearing a business suit with a theater name badge pinned to his jacket. All the other employees were in white shirts, black pants, and black ties).

First time I every used my jammer in public and I certainly will use it when I go to Fast 6 and Star Trek this weekend.

kronicfeld:News flash: tearing an object out of another person's hand and throwing it across the room qualifies as "violence." It may also qualify as battery/assault, robbery, larceny, and malicious destruction of personal property. And having just been assaulted/battered, I suspect she's going to have at least one defense available to her for her slap, which is more than he will have.